Cabinet to take up restoring Dalit quota in promotions

The BSP,in particular,had strongly advocated moving the amendment Bill that gives Dalits their due in matters relating to promotions.

Quota in promotion for SCs and STs was in force before a Supreme Court judgment in April held that in order to continue with them,government needed to establish with quantifiable data that Dalits and tribals were sufficiently backward and inadequately represented in public services. This was opposed by the BSP and other Dalit parties as they felt that criteria of representation and backwardness were relevant only for OBCs. The controversy became political after many states seized upon SCs April order to stop promotion quota.

In the all-party meeting,the SP in fact,maintained that quota in promotions had led to many SC and ST officials heading key positions in government and obliquely suggested that it be extended to OBCs. Upper caste lobbies had also put up a resistance,particularly with BJP and Congress leaderships.

The BJP had cautioned the government to draft a Bill that would pass judicial muster.